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Is storing bleach near the boiler a concern?

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Brian_74
Brian_74 Member Posts: 237
in Strictly Steam
I've been reading the recent posts about not storing chlorine near the boiler. I've been assuming folks meant the dry chlorine tablets and such for use in pools. I wanted to check to make sure that keeping a closed bottle of liquid bleach 5-10' away from the boiler isn't a problem. Is it? Should I move the Clorox upstairs?

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  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,398
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    Closed bottle...

    an ordinary closed bottle of liquid chlorine bleach shouldn't be a problem.

    However.  Storing solid hypochlorite -- the stuff commonly used for pool disinfection -- in the same space with fire is not such a good idea.  Not that it will cause corrosion (it may) but the stuff is an oxidizer, and if you get it hot enough it starts releasing free oxygen, and what was a minor blaze may become a catastrophic one, and generate chlorine gas (not nice stuff) in the process.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Brian_74
    Brian_74 Member Posts: 237
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    Thanks, Jamie

    I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing that there's one less destructive process going on in my house. 

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  • The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro) Member Posts: 834
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    My experience....

    has not been with bleach, but I did once have a customer store a closed plastic bottle of general cleaner labeled with a federal chemical label with 000 reactivity and within 2 years the burners on that side of the boiler had rotted through.  Many chemicals have no reactivity until they enter a flame, and plastic does leach chemicals, so a sealed bottle is no protection.

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  • Brian_74
    Brian_74 Member Posts: 237
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    How close?

    Well, there goes my sleep. How close was this bottle to the boiler? I think I have a "normal" US basement--W/D plus detergents, bleach, paint, and other stuff. Nothing too exotic. How much of a concern is this?

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  • The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro)
    The Steam Whisperer (Formerly Boilerpro) Member Posts: 834
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    Sitting right next to the boiler....

    if you have a typical large, open, and rather leaky basement it shouldn't be a problem if stored across the room, but I always recommend any kind of cleaner, chemicals, and certainly flammable materials be kept away from any heating equipment.

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  • Brian_74
    Brian_74 Member Posts: 237
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    Time for some basement cleaning

    Thanks, BoilerPro. While the bleach wasn't all that close to the boiler, I think I'll do some cleaning and move it as far as possible from it.

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